Need opinions on the Leapster L-Max

[james'mommy]

Any opinons at all would be greatly appreciated. My DS is 4 and is in awe of older kids who have gameboy and such. We saw the L-Max at tru and thought it would be a good compromise since it is educational. I'm just hesitant at the price. MIL and FIL will most likely be the ones to purchase it since they are the large ticket item spoilers. We spoil too just with a lower price threshold. Thanks in advance.

 

[mrsbug]

We got my 6-yr-old dd one for her birthday in May. She loves it and ds, 3, liked playing with it so much we bought him one too. We were going to wait till Christmas to get his, but they were fighting over dd's, so we caved! Besides, it will keep him occupied on the plane to Disney in December.

 

[DisFam95]

They seem to retail for $99 for just the player. I got a pack at Costco for $79 w/ either a Backyardigans or Dora game. DS4 really wants one and seems to like other little handhelds we've seen. They are much more educational than a gameboy type I think.

 

[sharibrat]

We just got DD (3.5) the Leapster for $60 (not the L version) and she loves it! Might be the only thing we need on the airplane!

 

[karinbelle]

DS (now 7) has had a Leapster since he was 5. He loves it. He has most of the games that come with it, and until recently was convinced it was a "gameboy". He's still not asking for a gameboy. I like him using his time and being entertained through an educaitonal game versus the type of game that typically comes with gameboy. The L-Max games work on the Leapster system. I just wish they would come out with more games.

Definitely good for hours of entertainment and learning - especially if you have more than one game.

 

[maxtomsmom]

My DS loves his. He has the Leapster Hand held. There are two types, one that can be plugged into the TV and one that is just a hand held. We got the latter because the screen is bigger and he can take it to a small private corner away from his two year old brother. I believe the other is also portable, but the screen is so small. If you are considering buying the leapster, then you should buy the battery recharger. It's great. My DS docks it each time he's done. Then it's ready for the next time he wants to play it. We have about 5 games. I hear the older games are challenging, while the K games are both educational and very fun.

 

[cinderella_mom]

My DD5 got the regular Leapster last year and loves it. The L-Max hooks up to play on the TV, but I didn't think the extra cost was worth it. The cartridges often go on sale at Target for about $18, so watch the Target mailer, I'm sure they'll be on sale before Xmas.

Also, I agree with maxtomsmom that the recharger is great. It runs a long time on the charge. We also got the blue case. It keeps it safe from accidental drops and has a pocket to hold the cartridges.

 

[jodifla]

I got the L-Max on ebay for $69 and love it for DS, 4. It is held in reserve for special occasions, like dinners out, doctor trips and other places where we need to wait awhile. Works like a charm!

 

[pizza1]

Santa got one for my 6 year old last year and I had to go out the next day to get one for my 3 year old cause she wouldn't put his down. Thay love them and they are very educational.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

We got the LMax for my DS6's last birthday. He loves it! We also got the recharger and several games appropriate for his age and just ahead. He loves the games, especially Madagascar and NASCAR.

We didn't know whether to get the Leapster (less expensive) or the LMax (more expensive, but can connect to the TV for playing on a big screen), thinking he might like to play while connected to the TV. However, I read that games for the two types are interchangeable (you can play Leapster games on the LMax, and vice versa), but the Leapster games will not display on the TV (or maybe cannot be played while connected?) Anyway, we went with the LMax, and both our boys love it. I love it when DS6 demonstrates his knowledge of math or reading that he's learned from it!

Edited to add: DS2 then inherited the My First LeapPad and all its games; he loves it!

 

[andijean]

My DS (4) got the regular leapster for xmas last year and both he and his brother were having trouble sharing it. So I bought the L-Max for DS (6). We have both types now I got the L-Max on clearance, but my boys do not really hook it up to the TV much. We use them for travel and when we're out and waiting places. They always stay in the car. I would not spend the extra money on the L-Max. All the cartridges work on both units. We really love them and they are a great educational alternative to video games. The number of cartridges available is pretty extensive to cover different ages and interests. Make sure you get a good carrier to put it and the cartridges in to avoid loss and damage. Enjoy! Oh, also watch for sales on these with the holiday season approaching.

 

[sherreis]

My DS6 got one last year from my parents in preparation for our car trip to Atlanta last Thanksgiving. It's been great cause DS always wanted his brother's gameboy. He has learned a lot from playing the games. If you don't think that you'll be connecting it to the TV, you might want to save yourself money and get the reg. Leapster and not the LMax. DS6's leapster just broke - you can hear audio but not see video. I spoke with the LeapFrog customer service and they told me to send it back which I did last week. It'll be interesting to see what I get back. DS6 now also has a Nintendo DS and just this past week, he asked when he'll be able to play with his leapster again.

 

[maxtomsmom]

My DS6 got one last year from my parents in preparation for our car trip to Atlanta last Thanksgiving. It's been great cause DS always wanted his brother's gameboy. He has learned a lot from playing the games. If you don't think that you'll be connecting it to the TV, you might want to save yourself money and get the reg. Leapster and not the LMax. DS6's leapster just broke - you can hear audio but not see video. I spoke with the LeapFrog customer service and they told me to send it back which I did last week. It'll be interesting to see what I get back. DS6 now also has a Nintendo DS and just this past week, he asked when he'll be able to play with his leapster again.

That's good to know that you can send it back. My DS leapster broke as well. The pen doesn't work. We think the culprit is his two year old brother, but he's not fessing up! He's playing the old, I really don't know what you're talking about look. Again, But we have our suspicions. He's always going after it. Anyway, I was wondering what I should do and I really didn't want to buy a new one unless I had to. Are they charging you for it or did you have a warranty?

 

[sherreis]

That's good to know that you can send it back. My DS leapster broke as well. The pen doesn't work. We think the culprit is his two year old brother, but he's not fessing up! He's playing the old, I really don't know what you're talking about look. Again, But we have our suspicions. He's always going after it. Anyway, I was wondering what I should do and I really didn't want to buy a new one unless I had to. Are they charging you for it or did you have a warranty?

I hope they're not charging me for it - they didn't mention they would be. I called customer service and told them what was wrong. They had me check a couple of things and when that didn't work, they gave me the address and info to put in the box for sending it back to California. It's only been a week so I don't know how long it will take. I told them he received it as a gift last Thanksgiving. I think I registered it when I he got it. I would have never thought a warranty would last that long.

 

[Lesley]

My 6yo got hers last Christmas (an L-Max). She has had a mixed reaction to it. Occasionally she'll pick it up and play it, but not for very long. Her 2yo sister actually seems more interested in it, though she's not really ready to play the games. We've only hooked it up to the tv a handful of times, mainly because of our tendency to misplace cables. I should ask her if she'd like to play again soon. It doesn't work out as a car activity for her because she becomes motion sick from playing (as if she were reading a book...).

One thing that I noticed was that she doesn't seem very interested in any of the games. Mostly what she plays is Mr. Pencil. We also have Disney Princess and Dora. She really hasn't expressed much interest in any of the other games that are out though.

She wants a Nintendo Gameboy DS like her older brother so she can play Animal Crossing this year...she's also mentioned wanting Nintendogs (though that was before we got a real dog). We'll just have to see if she gets the DS and how the Leapster holds up in comparison as far as play time. Of course she also wants an American Girl doll this year so we'll have to see how it plays out....this girl has "organic sparkling juice" taste, while we have a "water" budget (if we want to keep going to WDW anyway)...LOL

 

[Fabinva]

Do get it, my son was 5 when I got it for him, he had been playing Playstation and Gamecube and when trying to teach him letters in prep for school it was just not interesting to him, the Leapster L-Max was his birthday present and he loved it, it made it so much easier for him to learn how to write the letter "letters on the loose" game is just great! he still plays it and now he is 6, my daughter who is almost 4 is now playing that game and learning from it, I highly recommend it.

 

[maxtomsmom]

That's good to know that you can send it back. My DS leapster broke as well. The pen doesn't work. We think the culprit is his two year old brother, but he's not fessing up! He's playing the old, I really don't know what you're talking about look. Again, But we have our suspicions. He's always going after it. Anyway, I was wondering what I should do and I really didn't want to buy a new one unless I had to. Are they charging you for it or did you have a warranty?

Great news! I emailed Leapster's Tech support and they responded very quickly. I just need to recalibrate the screen which was very simple to do. Now it works fine. Apparently the little one pulled out the cartridge and played around with the screen and messed it up. They were very helpful. This is another good reason to buy any Leapster product. They are well-made, educational and most of all FUN!

 

[sherreis]

I'm glad you're able to get it working again. It is a great toy.

 

[alloyd1170]

I got my ds the Leapster when he was 2.5 or 3. Hes now almost 5 and still plays with it. I think he has learned so much from the "games" ie letters, numbers, colors, shapes and problem solving. We have all the pre k games. The Lmax games also work in the original Leapster. Personally I wouldnt get the Lmax. Ours pretty much stays in the car for road trips and dining out.

One thing, you might want to consider getting the rechargable battery pack. It holds a charge for a very long time vs batteries. I think I recharge his about once a month with almost daily use in the car. Do watch for rebates and sales on the unit and games. I know I got a $2 rebate when I bought it. Definitely more educational than a Gameboy which I hope he doesnt get into for a few more years!

alison

 

[sherreis]

I posted about my DS's leapster breaking and sending it back to LeapFrog. I sent it back last Tuesday. Today, on the porch, is a box, with a BRAND NEW Leapster LMax. Red -just like the one he had. I am so impressed, considering, he got his last Thanksgiving.